Pull-chain lamp socket



Nov. 12, 1929. w. c. TREGONING PULL CHAIN LAMP SOCKET Filed July 14, 1928 INVENTOR Q Q A TTORNEY Fitented Nov. 12, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT o F1cE I WILLIAM C. TREGONING, or WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY missus ASSIGN- f MENTS, TO CUTLER-HAMMER, INC., or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A, CORPORATION oI' DELAWARE PULL-CHAIN LAMP socxn'r f Application filed July 14, 1928. 7 Serial no. 292,sso.-

This invention relates to improvements in pull chain lamp sockets. I

An object of the invention is to improve and simplify the details of construction and assembly of the parts of such lamp sockets.

Another; object is to provide an improved and simplified pull chain guide bell support which is adapted for direct and positive interlocking engagement with the usual spaced insulating buttons. I

Another object is to minimize the amount of metal required in the construction of 'a lamp socket of the aforementioned character. I I

Another and more specific object is to provide a simple and inexpensive tension adj ust-- ing spindle forming part of the switch mechanism.

embodiment illustrated is susceptible of modi- 1 fication in certain details thereof without departing from thespirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pull chain lamp socket showing my improved pull chain guide bell support attached thereto, theen closing casing being shown partly in vertical section for purposes of illustration. I

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the pull chain terminal grip or tassel illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view with the upper and lower insulating buttons in separated relation, showing the fixedparts of the switch and the means for supporting said buttons in spaced relation to each other.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the socket, showing the manner of assembling the pull chain guide support with respect to the spaced insulating buttons.

ther objects and advantages of the in- Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the lamp socket,

the upper insulating button being broken away to illustrate the means for effecting interlocking engagement between the guide bell support and the insulating buttons.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the guide bell and tlie support therefor prior to assembly there- 0 Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section, of the guide belland support in assembled relation,

and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of my improved tension adjusting spindle forming part of the snap switchmechanism.

Referring to the drawings,the switch base as shown comprises buttons or disks 10 and 11 formed of porcelain or other suitable in sulating material. Attached to the lower face of button 11 are the usual center and screw shelllamp contacts 12 and 13, respectively. The center contact 12 may be electrically and mechanically connected with one of the stationary switch contacts 14:, as by means of a tubular rivet 15 or the like. The screw shell contact13 is secured to the lower face of button 13 by means of diametrically opposed screws 16 and 17,the screw 16'taking into a nut 18 located in a countersunk recess in the upper face of said button, and screw 17 taking into a tapped opening in the foot portion 19 of a combined terminal and spacing bar 20.

The upper end 21 of said bar 20 extends horizontally and is preferably of slightly arcuate form to fit within a corresponding recess 21'? in the lower face of the upper button 10. Button 10 is provided with a countersunk opening 22 and said end 21 is provided with a registering tapped opening 23'to receive the fastening screw 24.

Diametrically opposite to the stationary I contact let is a stationary contact 25 which is formed integrally with the combined terminal and spacing bar'26. The foot portion 27 of said bar is tapped to receive the shank of a securing screw 28, the head of which screw tension of spring 43 in a well known manner? As shown, the head portion of the spindle 42 is located in a countersunk opening (not shown) in the lower face of button 11. The upper end 29 of said bar 26 extends horizontally and is likewise of slightly arcuate form to fit within the recess 29 in the lower face of the upper button 10. Button 10 is provided with an opening 30 and said end 29 is provided with a registering tapped opening to receive the fastening screw 31. The bars 20 and 26 are provided with the usual binding screws 32 and 33, respectively.

The stationary contacts 14 and 25 are an ranged concentrically with respect to. the opening 34 in button 11, and said contacts are inclined upwardly to resist disengagement of the bridging contactor 35 therefrom upon movement of the latter in a counterclockwise direction,the upper surface of said button being likewise provided with depressions 36 and 37 to similarly resist movementof the bridging contact into engagement with said contacts 14 and .25. Suitable ratcheting means of wellcknown formis provided for effecting step bystep movement. of.

the switch contactor alternately into and out of engagement with thestationary contacts upon eachextreme outward movement of the pull chain.

The upper surface of the button 10 is provided with a boss or projection 38 having an opening 39 for the reception of a' screw driver or similar adjusting tool. Registering with said opening 39 is .asquared or angular re-.

cess 40 of slightly. largerdimensions. The

head 41of theadjusting spindle 42, forming part of the switch mechanism, is adapted to.

be normally biased into said recess 40, by

means of tension spring 43, whereby said spindle is held against rotation. The shank 44 fits into the opening 34 in button 11 to provide for centering of the switch parts,

and said head 41 is provided with a slot 45' to provide for engagement thereof by a screw driver for effecting sequential depression of 7 the head 41 out of engagement with recess 40 and rotation of said spindle to adjust the is also preferably provided with a notch 46 for cooperative engagement with the up turned end 43 of the tension spring 43. As

will be apparent, my improved adjusting spindle may be readily and cheaply formed from sheet or plate material (preferably metal stock of the desired thickness) by a simple punching operation.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the adjacent faces of the buttons 10 and 11 are provided with alined and similar recesses for reception of the pull chain guide support. Thus the button 11 is provided with a recess having angularly related straight walls 47 and 48 and a curved wall 49 angularly related to the latter, whereby said walls form a substantially-triangular recess having "a narrow neck .tion having a tubular extension 56 which is adapted to fit into a corresponding opening 57 in the bulged'or substantially hemispherical portion 58of the guide bell support.

The bell mouth portion is provided with an annular bead or like projection 56 to limit the inward movement of the tubular extension 56, and the latter is spun over to rigidly secure the two parts together, as best shown in Fig. 6.

The portion 58 merges into the portion .59 which is curved on an arc coincident with the periphery of the respective buttons 10 and 11. Extending rearwardly from the portion 59 in aplane at ri ht angles to the plane of the lat er are a pair of parallelarms 60 and 61. The ends 62 and, 63 ofthe respective arms extend in a common plane in opposite direcs tions from each other at substantially right angles to the parallel planes ofthe arms 60 and 61; 1

Upon assembly of the lamp socket parts, including the switch mechanism, in the manner aforedescribed, one end of the pull chain is dropped inwardly through the bell mouth 55 and the end bead of the chain is hooked onto the forked or slotted end 64 of the usual chain track or channel 65. Thereupon the ends 62 and 63' of the arms 60 and 61 are inserted within the alined recesses in the buttons 10 and 11,the depressed surfaces 51 and 51 permitting substantially free movement of said ends 62 and 63 along the walls 4' and 47 of said recesses until said ends abut against the walls 48 and 48, respectively, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

Thereafter he guide bell and its support are .i'otated bodily in a counterclockwise direction until the edges of the arms 60 and 61 and the curved portion 59 abut against the curved walls 54 and 54 of the depressed surfaces 53 and 53. During such bodily rotation of the guide bell and support the ends 62 and 63 of the arms 60 and 61 act as pivots, with their centers at the junctions of recess walls 4?, 48 'and 47,48, respectively; and it the assembled lamp socket parts within the.

assembled shell 66 and lining 67 the bulged portion 58 of the chain guide bell support will be accommodated by the usual alined slots 68 and 69 (Fig. 1) the curved portion 59 at the right hand side of bulged portion 58 (Fig. 4) being engaged by the insulating lining to retain the guide bell and support in the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4:. I

Inward movement of the pull chain may be I limited by providing one of the chain beads with a relatively larger covering head 70; and as shown in Figs. 1 and 1 the chain may be provided with an insulating tassel or gripping member 71. As shown in Fig. 1 member 71 is provided at its upper end with a bore 7 2 which is preferably just large enough to permit free insertion of the chain beads; and concentric with said bore is a relatively larger bore 7 3. The tassel may be attached I by dropping several of the beads downwardly therethrough, theend head 74 being then crushed or distorted to enlarge the dimensions thereof in a given plane, whereby passage of said end bead through the smaller bore 72 is prevented. The tassel as shown is provided with an annular projection 75 to afford a better finger grip and to provide a more attractive appearance of the tassel. I

It will be noted that I have provided for location of the two combined spacing and terminal bars in relativel close juxtaposition to facilitate wiring; wiereas the guide bell support itself additionally insures against relative movement of the insulating buttons toward each other.

While I have herein shown and described the switch operating means as comprising a pull chain, it is to be understood that a cord or other similar form of operating element may be employed if desired.

What I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A pull chain lamp socket comprising a pair of insulating buttons, switch mechanism located between and supported by said buttons, a pair of combined terminal and spacing bars located adjacent to each other and to each of which said buttons are secured, a pull chain for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, said guide bell having spaced parallel supporting arms, the end portions of said arms extending at right angles thereto in opposite directions, and adjacent faces of said buttons having alined' notches to permit substantially free insertion of'said end portions of said arms, and said notches having-cooperating shoulders to lock said end portions therewithin upon partial rotarydisplacement of said guide bell.

j .2. Apullchain lamp socket comprising a pair of spaced insulating buttons, snap switch mechanism located between said buttons and supported thereby, a pull chain for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, said guide bell having spaced parallel arms,

the end portions of said arms extending in a common plane in opposite directions from eachother, the adjacent faces of said buttons having alined substantially triangular recesses into which said end portions of the arms are freely insertable, and the adjacent faces of said buttons being further recessed to permit partial relative rotation ofsaid guide bell whereby saidend portions are locked within said recesses. I

I 3. A pull chainlamp socket comprising a pair of spaced insulating buttons, snap switch mechanism located between said buttons and supported thereby, a pull chain for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, said guide bell having spaced parallel arms, theend portions of said arms extending in a common plane in opposite dilocked within said recess, and a removable casing having a part cooperating with said guide bell to restrain the same from relative rotation in the reverse direction.

4. In a pull chainlamp socket, the combinationwith a pair of spaced insulating buttons, snap switch mechanism located between said buttons and supported thereby, a pull chain for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, said guide bell having upperand lower rearwardly extending parallelsupportingiarms, the end portions of said arms extending in opposite directionsfrom each other ina' common plane, the adjacent faces of said buttons having alinedsubstantially triangular recesses into which said end portions of the arms are freely insertable radially, and said adjacent faces of said buttons being additionally recessed to provide for substantially flush positioning of the adjacent faces of said arms with respect to the adjacent faces of said buttons and to limit the bodily rotary movement of said guide bell relative to said buttons whereby the former is locked against radial movement with respect to the latter. I

5. In a pull chain lamp socket, the combination witha pair of spaced insulating but tons, snap switch niechanismlocated between said buttons and supported thereby, said switch mechanism including a stamped flat sheet metal spindle'of substantially T-shape in outline, a coiled spring encircling the shank of said spindle and a notch in the head of the latter-to be engaged by one end of said spring, an angular recess in one of said but tons, said'spring acting to seat the head portion of said spindle within said recess, said head portion being displaceable from said recess to permit rotation thereof whereby the tension on said spring is varied, a pull chain for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, said guide bell having spaced, parallel supporting; arms and the adjacent faces of said buttons being recessed to freely receive said. arms, said arms having end portions extending therefrom 1n opposite directions at substantially right angles thereto,

and the adjacent faces of said buttons being further recessed to receive said end portions and to permit relative rotary bodily movement of said guide bell and supporting arms whereby the parts are locked in assembled relatio 6. As an article ofmanufacture, a spindle for pull chain operated switch mechanisms, said spindle comprising a relatively thick sheet metal stamping of substantially T- shape providing a shank and a head portion, the upper end of said head portion being notched to accommodate an adjusting tool, and the lower end thereof being notched for cooperative engagement with a coiled spring.

7 In a pull chain lamp socket, the combination with a pair of spaced insulating buttons, switch mechanism carried thereby, pull chain operating means for said switch mechanism, a guide bell for said pull chain, a support for said guide bell comprising spaced parallel arms the flat end portions of which project in a common plane in opposite directions from each other, the adjacent faces of said buttons being recessed to permit free movement of said end portions therebetween, and thewalls of said recesses being formed to permit partial rotation of said end portions therewithin, whereby said end portions may be locked within said recesses. r

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

lVILLIAM C. TREGONING. 

